Morning journal and courier., 1887-10-17
News by Telegraph
FROM ALL QUARTERS.
THE TREASURES Saved.
An Express Messenger Kills
Two Robbers.
A RICH BANKER SHOT DOWN
BY the Son of His 0utcast
Wife.
POLICEMAN HAHN ON DUTY.
pope LeO's Advice to Work.
ingmen.
POLICEMAN HAHN ON DUTY.
A PLucKx EXPRESS MESSENGER

A PLUCKY EXPRESS MESSING Err
Shoots Down Two Train Robbers and
Saves the Treasures in His Charge.
EL PAso, Texas, Oct. 16.-The meagre re-
ports sent from here Friday regarding the
attempted train robbery gave but fraction
of the tale. 1t was a great victory that one
of the robbers should be killed, but what was
the establishment of the public here when the
dead body of another robher was brought in
yesterday. The Galveston, Harrisburg and
San Antonio express which should have
started east Friday at 4:30 was delayed till
about $50 in waiting for the Southern Pacific
train from the west. Engineer Lohrer says
that when his train had gone about a mile,
two men wearing cloth masks came over the
tender with q revolver in each hand. The
engineer tried to stop the train, but the men
oadered him to run on to a curve and stop
quick. When he reached the curve he sup
posed they meant, five miles from the city,
they ordered him and his fireman to get off
the engine and took them back
to the express car. The robbers in the
meantime were firing off their revolvers
and shouting and cnrsing. Reaching the ex-
press car one of them threw dynamite
against the front door on one side of the car.
The explosion knocked large hole in the
door and broke out the glass in the other
doors. The robbers called the express
messenger out. The messenger was j. Ern-
est Smith and with him was J. R. Beardsley,
clerk in Wells Fargo's Office at Fort Worth.
When they heard the firing they put out the
III 10 = he
the command of the robbers they came out,
Smith leaving his revolver just inside the
door. The robbers ordered Smith and
Beardsley to hold up their hands and then
searched them. Smith ordered to go
back into the and light the lamp. He
climbed back and the foremost robber start
ed to follow. Smith seized his pistol, placed
it almost against the robbers breast and
fired, sending a bullet through his heart. The
robber fell back dead, but fired twice
at Smith while falling. Smith and
the other robber also exchanged shots. The
robber then attempted to get his comrades
body on the engine, intending to uncouple it
from the train and run on While he was
trying to lift the BODY upon the engine the
messenger got his double barrelled shotgun,
leaned out of the and shot at him. The
out of sight. The train returned to this city,
the express car was repaired and the train
went on, Messenger Smith remaining in the
CITY, Deputy Marshal Van Ripper at once
started for Ysleta, thirteen miles east of Ell
Paso, and securing three experienced Mexican
trailers had them at the scene of the "hold-
up" before daylight. City Marshal Wyett
and other officers were also on the ground by
sunrise. The hunt was short; less than fifty
yards from where he was shot lay the
second robber dead. His body was
brought back to the city and placed
beside his late comrade in crime.
An examination showed only one buckshot
had struck him, that it entered the front
side of the left shoulder and cut the artery
just above the heart. The officers reti-
cent, but it is learned that they believe they
are on the trail of more robbers. The theory
is that the pals of the two men on the train
were waiting with horses little beyond
where the train was held up. The shots fred
by the two were the signals that after get
ting their plumber the two robbers intended
to run forward with the engine and leave the
rest of the train. The two robbers killed
were about twenty-five years of age and
powerfully built men. The first one killed
had on his person a receipt dated Terre
Haute Ind, September % for trunk mark
ed ]. E. Emerson and received from J. E.
Emerson. The second robber is minus the
third finger on the right hand. One had
about $50 and the other SIS. They rec
ognized here, but their names are unknown.
Both were photographed to-day.
Messenger Smith is from St. Louis, living
now at ST. Louis. He has been employed by
the Wells Fargo company for four years and
runs between Ell Paso and San Antonio. The
citizens of Ell Paso presented him with a suit
of clothes to-day and have raised over $10)
for medal. ]. w. Nichols, superintendent
of the Wells Fargo company for Texas and
Louisiana, telegraphed Smith to-day congrat
ulating him on his victory and saying if his
example was followed train robbery would
be thing of the past.